Cornice and support for curtains and the like



Sept. 29, 1953 J. F. KUEBLER 2,653,556

CORNICE AND SUPPORT FOR CURTAINS AND THE LIKE I Filed March 5, 1952 INVENVTOR James F. Kue/er AT, NEY

Patented Sept. 29, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CORNICE AND SUPPORT FOR CURTAINS AND THE LIKE Claims.

This invention relates to curtain, drape and valance supports and cornice constructions, and more in particular to an improved track and cornice assembly for supporting carriers for drapes and curtains and the like.

An object of this invention is to provide a highly versatile cornice and track construction of the above character. A further object is to provide a support of the above character which permits unlimited over-lap between adjacent curtains or drapes. A further object is to provide a cornice and track assembly which is adapted for use in a variety of places such as along the top of an arch or opening or along the ceiling in a room so as to provide for the separation of the room into two or more spaces, by the use of drapes or the like. A further object is to provide a light-weight and thoroughly practical construction which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, readily installed and which is adaptable to meet various conditions which are encountered in practice. These and other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out below.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the invention shown supporting drapes,

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the upper righthand portion of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a rod of the type used to interconnect sections of the track and cornice assembly of Figures 1 to 3; and,

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 2.

Referring particularly to Figure 1, a pair of curtains 2 and 4 have a center overlapping at 6 and are supported from a track and cornice assembly 8 which is mounted along the top of an arch-like opening between two rooms. The track and cornice assembly 8 is formed of three sections of track and cornice units which are connected in end-to-end abutting relationship so that the joints do not appear in Figure 1. Each of these sections comprises a track unit (see Figure 2) which is generally indicated at In and two identical cornice units !2 which are supported by the track unit by an interlocking relationship to be described more fully below. Each of the track units I!) has a top plate l4 and four downwardly extending integral walls l6, I8, 20 and 22. Walls l6 and i8 define an inverted track channel 24 and there are two tracks 26 and 28 formed by inwardly and upwardly turned flanges integral respectively with the bottom edges of the two walls. Walls and 22 are identical respectively with the walls l8 and 16 but are reversely positioned and they define an inverted track channel 32 and have integral tracks 34 and 36 respectively. Walls I8 and 26 are spaced apart and provide a central channel whereby screws 38 are inserted to support the unit from the arch or ceiling surface above.

Each of the walls l6 and 22 has a cornice supporting structure which are identical and with which the cornices are removably interlocked as indicated above. The structure providing this interlock is shown best in Figure 3 and will be described by reference thereto. The top of the cornice i2 is of thickened section with a portion 40 which is in the nature of one-quarter of a cylinder with its axis at 42. At the left the cornice terminates in the portion indicated at 44, which is also in the nature of a segment of a cylinder and also has its axis at 42, but is of larger radius than the segment 40 and has a surface 46. The upper portion of segment 44 is slotted at 48 to provide a flange 50 and the top of wall 22 has an overhanging portion with a downwardly extending flange 52 which is snugly received in slot 48, and this flange 52 forms a slot 53 into which flange 50 is snugly received. Wall 22 has a surface 54 which mates with surface 46 and the surface 4! of the segment 40 mates with a surface 56 of the flange 52. The adjacent surfaces of flanges 50 and 52 are also mating with a general contour 'at the axis 42.

Thus, the cornice I2 is supported as shown but it may be turned counterclockwise around the axis 42 by lifting its lower edge and such movement disengages the flanges 50 and 52 from each other so that the cornice is readily removed. However, when assembled as shown, the cornices are rigidly held and they function substantially as if they were integral with the track unit.

It has been indicated above that the unit lengths of the track and also of the cornices are connected end-to-end, and this interconnection is by pins or rods 58 of the type shown in Figure 4. Accordingly, the bottom edge of each of the cornices is enlarged at 66 and a cylindrical opening 62 is provided therethrough, there being a slot 64 at one side. Similarly, the bottom of each of walls 16 and 22 has a cylindrical opening and side slot 66. During assembly a suflicient number of the track unit lengths are prepared to provide the desired overall length of track. At the juncture 59 of each length with the next, a pair of pins 58 are inserted, each extending onehalf its length from the plane of the juncture. Similarly, the cornices [2 are assembled from lengths by inserting the rods 58 in the holes 62 in the same manner. The holes 66 and 62 are slightly undersized with respect to rods 58 so that a press fit is provided and the side slots provide for resiliency in the gripping of the rods by the surrounding wall structures. The rods may be centered by inserting a tool through the slots. Under normal circumstances the assembly of the lengths of track and cornice is performed at the time of erection, and preferably the lengths of track are positioned prior to the interconnection of the track and cornice portions,

The tracks 34 and 36 support a set of dual wheel curtain carriers 68 upon which the curtain 2 is suspended as shown. Tracks 26 and 28 support a similar set of dual wheel curtain carriers from which the curtain 4 is suspended as shown in Figure 1. With this construction the two sides of the curtains are covered at their tops by the cornice and, as indicated above, they may be over-lapped as much as desired.

Under some circumstances the cornice may be desirable upon only one side of the curtains, in which case the other cornice is omitted. Furthermore, the track unit may be of the single track type with one or both cornices. It should be noted that the utility of the track unit is not interfered with by removal of one or both of the cornices, and the cornices may be readily replaced by others of different configuration and appearance.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth, or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a track and cornice assembly of the character described, the combination of, a track assembly comprising means forming a track for a carrier and interlocking means comprising flange means with a downwardly disposed flange and means presenting a supporting surface beneath said flange, and a cornice unit comprising a main portion which extends downwardly and an interlocking portion which has flange means adapted to mate with the first-mentioned flange means and means presenting a surface adapted to mate with said supporting surface.

2. A supporting and cornice assembly comprising the combination of, carrier receiving means adapted to support carriers, cornice supporting means comprising a downwardly disposed flange structure and adjacent supporting structure therebeneath, said flange structure and supporting structure presenting a plurality of surfaces which have a common axis disposed remotely from said supporting structure, and a cornice unit having a removable supporting structure with surfaces substantially mating with said surfaces of said flange structure and said supporting structure.

3. The construction as described in claim 2 wherein said supporting structure and said cornice unit are formed in sections with abutting end walls, and are provided with longitudinal openings in said end walls, and a plurality of rods nested in said openings and providing interconnections with the respective sections thereof.

4. In a construction of the character described for supporting a cornice, the combination of, a fixed wall structure presenting a supporting surface which is a segment of a cylinder with its axis disposed horizontally slightly below the upper edge thereof and a flange overhanging said surface at the upper edge thereof at substantially the level of said axis, said flange having side surfaces which are substantially segments of cylinders with their axes at the first-mentioned axis, a removable structure having a configuration to mate with the above-described supporting surface and the surfaces of said flange and the mating portions of said configuration being turnable about said axis to disconnect it from and connect it to said fixed wall structure.

5. In a track and cornice assembly of the character described, the combination of, a track assembly comprising means forming a double track for a carrier and pair of first interlocking means extending respectively along the two sides of the track and each comprising flange means with a downwardly-disposed first flange and means presenting a supporting surface beneath said first flange, and a pair of cornice units supported respectively by said pair of first interlocking means each comprising a main portion which extends downwardly and an interlocking portion which has flange means adapted to mate with said first flange means of its first interlocking means and means presenting a surface adapted to mate with its supporting surface.

JAMES F. KUEBLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

